You’re never too young to be successful!

“Ok. Here's what I think I know of you. You are from a very rich family…” (You can imagine how the rest of the message went.)

I get a lot of email, now as a very active LinkedIn user, and a fair amount of the messages start off like this quote by a “LinkedIn expert”. It amazes me really. It seems that a lot of people take any amount of success that a millennial enjoys as a sign that they’re spoon fed or taken care of by mommy and daddy.

A lot of people wonder how I have a growing business at a young age of 29.

There are a lot of things that I do on a consistent basis that factor into the growth of my business. There are also a lot of things that I don’t do that factor into the growth of my business.

I get a lot of messages from Generation-Xers and Baby-boomers asking me how I got my start. These questions, whether they are respectful in nature, or rude basically have the same simple answer:

I get started early every day and work longer and harder than anyone else.

To be clear, I’m not attacking Generation X-ers or Baby Boomers in way, shape, or form. I’m simply asking to be judged on my skills, knowledge, and quality of work rather than my age and youthful appearance.

I’m not saying that I am the greatest, but I am saying that I am doing the work and all that I can to be known as the greatest at what I do someday. I feel like anything you do professionally should be something that you really want to be great at. We only have one life to live, so it should be spent doing something that brings you some pride and motivates you to be the best.  

I want to be known as someone that helps business owners reach that next level of success, so I work hard every day to improve at what I do. I have surrounded myself with experienced professionals that have a history of helping business owners succeed. It’s up to me to ask the right questions and do my due diligence to learn all that I can like a sponge floating in a sea of experience.

I personally think that millennials tend to have more ambition and drive than we often get credit for. I also think that the social media age that we grew up in has provided us with some unique tools and perspective.

Here is a list of things that I think that we millennials do well:

1. We don’t have time for negativity:  We were raised by a hard-working generation that literally slaved away a large portion of their lives to take care of us. We know what working the 9-5 in a job that you hate looks like. It’s why so many of us are gravitating toward companies with optimistic, friendly, and supportive cultures. You won’t see a lot of millenials starting off comments with “I don’t want to be a negative Nancy, but….” Or emails with things like “Ok. Here's what I think I know of you. You are from a very rich family…” We were raised by people that preached to us things like “if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say it.” We were raised in a time of doers, movers, and shakers. We have been inspired by the Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and all the other amazing people before us.
2. We don’t need a babysitter: Most of the young and successful people that I know all share this drive to be autonomous. We don’t need to be micro-managed to get things done. We take pride in doing things on our own and accomplishing tasks that few people expect a younger person to excel at it.
3. We don’t focus as much on the money: Millennials are aware of what’s going on in the world more so than any other generation before us. That’s not a knock on anyone, but the truth is that we grew up in a time, when information is easier to come by than it ever has been before. We are trying to make positive changes in the world around us. Our businesses aren’t as driven by profits like big corporations of the past, because we know where that will take us. You will see a lot more mission-driven companies pop up in the near future, because we know there are repercussions to our actions.
4. We don’t even know what 9-5 means: We grew up in the age of technology, social media, and hustle. We always have our phones, tablets and other electronic devices within an arm’s reach 24-7. We use our social media accounts to build our personal brands better than anyone. We always have the ability to write down, or share our ideas, when motivation strikes.
5. We are outgoing: Millennials aren’t as afraid to take chances, perform in front of an audience, or do public speaking as past generations for a number of reasons. We grew up with an education system that encouraged group activities, public speaking, and thinking for one’s self more than any generation before us. We also had Facebook and Twitter to teach us life goes on no matter what silly thing happens to you on a public stage.
6. We go for the gold: We get teased a lot, because of all the participatory medals and trophies that were handed out in our youth. However, we all took those as reminders that we could have done better. No one knows better than us that the winners get the gold and winning takes hard work, talent, and a little bit of luck.
7. We know that we make our own luck: There was a time, when you really needed a big break to make something of yourself no matter how great your talent is. Now, you just have to show your greatness. Justin Beiber was “discovered” on YouTube.  A lot of people are discovered on social media actually.  We know that we can do anything in the world if we work hard and put ourselves out there.

What are your thoughts on Millennials? Please feel free to share your feedback on this article via the comment section below.

About Me, Jonathan Pace: I am the office manager at Swartz and Reeder Advisors and the president of On Pace Franchising. I help individuals become business owners through franchising and purchasing existing businesses.

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